Memory processes in reading disability subtypes

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to evaluate immediate verbal memory processes in specific reading disability subtypes. We examined three subgroups of reading disabled children, having (a) language disorder, (b) visuoperceptual disorder, or (c) memory disorder. A total of 75 children were studied (n = 25 in each subgroup), and the three groups did not differ in either age or IQ. The children's ability to retain sequences of color names in memory was assessed using the Color Span Test, which consists of four subtests that involve different stimulus and response combinations (visual‐visual, visual‐verbal, verbal‐visual, and verbal‐verbal). Specific memory profiles were identified for each of the three reading disability subtypes, and these patterns varied depending on the mode of stimulus presentation or response. Only the memory disorder group performed poorly across all modalities. The findings suggest that it is possible to identify preferred memory strategies that may have implications for selecting the type of reading instruction most appropriate for subgroups of reading disabled children.